KIDLINGTON FC NEWS

Name Change For Kidlington Reserves - 22 May

Kidlington Reserves will be competing in Uhlsport Division One next season under the mantle of FC Kidlington.

The name change has been ratified by the Football Association and the Uhlsport Hellenic League.

The club awaits to see whether they will be entered into Division One East or West, this will be decided once the full number of teams entering the 2017/18 competion has been collated.

Club spokesman Simon Dickens advises. "This is a fantastic opportunity for the club and particularly for future first team players to nurture their talents at a higher level. The promotion was made possible by a successful application which was submitted by the club to the FA in February and also made easier to achieve because last season’s reserve team finished in second place in Division Two West. This high finish was the second year in a row that the team have finished runners up and the team demonstrated their need to play at a higher level by securing the Uhlsport Hellenic Chairmans Cup last month when they defeated Abingdon United by two goals to nil at Fairford Town."

"The new look FC Kidlington are looking for a new club secretary to help facilitate this promotion and will look to develop the fantastic players they already have whilst also attracting new talent that have the potential to step up to our Evo-Stik Southern League team. FC Kidlington also require new sponsors, including a main sponsor who will see their name and logo emblazoned on the new green home shirt."

"Nick East will remain as Manager and is delighted to announce the talented Barry Hiles has been appointed assistant manager alongside current assistant boss Dave Morris. Barry has had a very successful coaching and management career and brings a wealth of talent and knowledge to the team. Until the end of season 15-16 he successfully managed the youth team that contained many of players who played for the reserves last year."

Kidlington Improvements - 24 February

Kidlington announce they have placed contracts to the value of £22,000.00 for stadium improvements which once completed will allow them to maintain their FA Step 4 Ground Grading criteria.

The requirements are a new covered stand (standing terrace) for 100 spectators, to in-fill completely the pitch perimeter fence and to provide a low level fence adjacent to the path of the training area for spectator safety, there are also some additional minor requirements which will also be undertaken at the same time. All works are contracted to be completed inside the 31st March 2017 deadline and will be exclusively financed by Kidlington Football Club.

Ten Years Of Vandalism - 2 November

Kidlington suffered an arsonist attack on Tuesday night intensifying ten years of vandalism that the club believes is the brunt of teenage boredom.

Firefighters hurled a hose over the fence of Kidlington FC grounds last week and dragged it across the pitch to douse a flaming seat after petrol was poured over the stand and set alight.

The club has gone from strength to strength and last year moved to its highest level in history gaining promotion from the Uhlsport Hellenic League, and raised £27,500 to add 50 new seats to the stand, to comply with Step 4 requirements.

Police have since confirmed the fire on Tuesday night was arson, intensifying ten years of vandalism that the club believes is the brunt of teenage boredom. Club secretary and trustee David Platt said: “For a decade we have suffered. This time they poured petrol over, destroyed the whole seat and ran off.”

He said since the stand was built they have been targeted by yobs who scrawl offensive graffiti, smash up lights, bash in the back of seats, litter drug packets and needles and burn holes in the seats - inflicting an estimated £2,000 worth of damage that the community-funded club has had to fork out for. This time a neighbour near the Yarnton Road ground saw flames roaring from the stand shortly after 9pm and called emergency services. The fire reduced one of the seats to a plastic puddle and will have to be replaced.

Kidlington resident Mr Platt, who works for the Environment Agency, said in the Oxford Mail: “We are continually frustrated. As a football club we can’t do any more. Last year we reached an elevated level of football on the brink of professional playing. It is so soul destroying with all the effort and time that goes into that. You see improvements and it’s so upsetting when some idiots come and smash them.”

The 54-year-old has been involved in the club since 1993 when he joined as a player. He said they have ‘shamed a few of them into going away’ but added: “Then you get another crop of youngsters with nothing better to do.” The engineering team leader said the club has put up cameras and signs to deter them but cannot lock the stadium at night because a public right of way runs through, with unsuccessful attempts made to get it rerouted. Mr Platt added: “They just wander in, it’s a free for all.”

Trustee Martin Belcher has been at the club for more than 30 years and one of his grandsons plays in its under 16s team. The 70-year-old said: “It seems to be yobbo’s of a very young age group. It’s not just idle hands causing a problem, it’s got serious now. This time was certainly worse than anything we’ve ever had - worryingly worse. There is just no respect.”

Referring to the arson, the Kidlington resident added: “It could have been a major disaster, it’s dangerous. We have had years of success so it’s disheartening."

League Winning Manager Resigns - 31 August

Martin Wilkinson, who led Kidlington to the Uhlsport Hellenic League Championship last season along with promotion to the Evo-Stik Southern League has resigned as manager.

Kidlington FC’s Press Officer Simon Dickens advises. "His management team and squad have been contacted; a committee meeting will convene as soon as possible. Kidlington are indebted to “Wilkys” dedication during his time with us, during which he achieved the clubs long term objective to compete at step 4, Southern League football.

The club wishes Martin and his family all the very best in the future.

Players Move To New Rivals - 5 July

Last season's Uhlsport Hellenic League Golden Boot winner Anaclet Odhiambo (pictured) and influential midfielder Lewis Gabbidon have left Kidlington ahead of their maiden campaign in Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 Central, in favour of league rivals Marlow.

Odhiambo hit a sensational 37 goals in all competitions as Kidlington claimed the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division title, while Gabbidon collected the players’ player and manager’s player prizes at the end-ofseason awards.

However, the pair will be lining up against the Greens next season after joining former Kidlington coach Julian McCalmon at the Buckinghamshire outfit.

Team Awards - 22 May

The Awards ceremonies were held over Friday and Saturday evenings and culminated in guest of honour Hellenic League Chairman Bob Dalling presenting Anaclet Odhiambo with the Premier Division Leading scorer plaque.

This momentous season saw Kidlington FC Manager Martin Wilkinson's first team take the title by 7 points from 2nd place Thatcham Town. Kidlington's league winning total of 97 points was a magnificent achievement and on the way to the title they won 31 of their 38 games, drawing 4 times and only losing on 3 occasions. During this successful campaign they scored 118 goals and conceded just 33.

Kidlington First Team awards for this fantastic season went to -
Managers Player Of The Season - Lewis Gabbidon
Players Player Of The Season - Lewis Coyle & Lewis Gabbidon
Leading Goal Scorer – Anaclet Odhiambo
Supporters Player (Terry Wiffen) – Henry Owen

On the nights of festivities the other recipient of the various awards were as follows -

Reserve Team
Managers Player Of The Season - Adam Wells
Players Player Of The Season – Callum Rice
Leading Goal Scorer – Mark Gaul
U18
Managers Player Of The Season - Declan Allen-Stokes
Players Player Of The Season - Maxwell Jones
Leading Goal Scorer – Maxwell Jones
U17
Managers Player Of The Season – Harry Whitehead
Players Player Of The Season – Ollie Wynn
Leading Goal Scorer – Harry Whitehead
Club Awards
Young Player Of The Season - Jack Gaul
KFC Clubman – David Platt

New Trustees Come Forward - 19 May

Kidlington Football Club are pleased to announce that Mike Gradwell and Les Deabill are to fill the positions of Trustee's following the resignations of Gordon Geary and Barry Hiles.

Both Deabill and Gradwell will take office with immediate effect, and will be ratified the club AGM in June.

Nick Duval on behalf of Kidlington welcomed the new trustee's stating they would make excellent additions and would bring a new dimension to the club as it moves towards its first full season in the Evo-Stik Southern League Central Division.

Both of the new Trustees are former members of Garden City Youth FC which forms an integral part of the local Kidlington football pyramid along with Kidlington Youth FC. Gradwell takes on the role of Youth Liaison Officer to the junior clubs while Les Deabill will have responsibility for all off-field aspects of 1st team Match Day arrangements.

Central For Kidlington - 13 May

Kidlington will kick off their maiden Evo-Stik Southern League season in Division 1 Central in August.

Their Oxfordshire neighbours North Leigh, Didcot Town and Wantage Town, all remain in Division 1 South & West.

Martin O’Connell - 12 May

It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the passing of former Kidlington FC first team manager Martin O’Connell.

Martin passed away yesterday, Wednesday 11 May, after a short battle with illness.

Martin will not be just remembered for his adult football managing skills when he was manager of local village Sunday side ‘The Six Bells’ and then Kidlington in the Hellenic League, he was also somewhat of a schoolboy superstar.

Martin was one of Oxfordshire’s most versatile, and successful, schoolboy sports stars, he excelled at football, rugby, cricket and athletics.

The all-rounder’s greatest achievement was on the rugby field. In 1956, in his last year at Gosford Hill School, Kidlington, 15-year-old Martin became the first - and only - Oxfordshire boy to captain the England Schoolboys Rugby XV. Playing at fly half, he led England into an early three-point lead against Wales at Bristol, but his team lost by 18 points to six. (Image: Martin receiving his England Schools Cap in 1956)

He also appeared in the Oxfordshire schools’ rugby team, played in the school cricket team, and represented his school and the Oxford Schools’ athletics team in the discus and shot. He was equally impressive as a centre forward on the football field.

He captained the school side, which carried off the Bob Gray Cup with a 2-1 win over favourites Cheney School at the Morris Motors ground at Crescent Road, Cowley. Martin scored one of the goals.